Adjustable ventilating window shade



May 3, 1938. 4 M. F. EHLERS 2,116,237

- ADJUSTABLE VENTILATING WINDOW SHADE Filed June 20, 1935 IN VENTOR.

Patented May 3, 1938 PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE VENTILATING WINDOW SHAD- Max F. Ehlers, Long Island City, N. Y.

Application June 20,

' Claims.

This invention relates to improvements, in window shades and its leading object is to provide a window shade which can be adjusted to provide ventilation at the top and the bottom thereof, and

5 to allow for shading intermediate of its ends, to

the extent desired.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a window shade with winding means so arranged that the lower end of the shade may be I wound by sliding a member across the shade, and will be retained in the desired adjustment by the clutching action of this member upon, a guiding rod.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a window shade with winding means, including a rolleron which the bottom of the shade is mounted, a winding spool attached to thefend of the roller, a guiderod or member extendingacross the roller and having bearings on which the roller turns, a flexible member which is wound on the spool, a clutch slidable on the guide rod or member for shifting or operating the flexible member to forcibly turn the roller in winding direction, or to allow the weight of the roller and the shade wound thereon to turn by gravity in the reverse direction, and a tubular guide for feeding the flexible cord or cable close to the spool, to prevent loops being formed over the spool, and to hold the cable in correct winding and unwinding relation thereto. I

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain new and useful constructions, and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specifications, and fully illustrated in the drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved window shade, shown in partly extended position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in front elevation of the lower roller.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, enlarged, of the cable clutch.

Fig. 4 is an edge view thereof.

Figs. 5 and 6 are details.

Referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating the practical construction of the invention 5 designates the upper spring roller, which works on the brackets 6 and I in the usual manner. On this roller a series of flexible strings B are wound, the lower ends of the strings being connected to the cross bar 9 which is inserted in the tubular edge ID of the rollable or flexible shade II. It is apparent that by pulling on the shade the flexible strings 8 will unwind, and that by operating the shade to produce the required speed of rotation of the spring roller, the usual 1935, Serial No. 27,484

centrifugal clutch carried by standard spring shade rollers will be disengaged, thus permitting the roller to; wind the strings or cables 8, thereby elevating the shade.

By adjusting the relation of the upper end of the shade to the spring roller the open space above the shade may be increased or decreased, for ventilation purposes, or wholly closed, to control the shading of the window desired.

The lower end of the shade is wound over the roller I2, being attached thereto in any suitable manner, not shown. One end of this roller is equipped with a. winding spool l3, fixed to the roller, and providing an end trunnion 14, while the other end of the roller is equipped with a trunnion l5.

In order to control the rotary motion of the roller to wind and unwind the lower end of the shade, I provide a U-shaped guide frame or rod l6, which thus includes the end bars [6a and "5b and the intermediate cross bar I50, which extends across the roller and is suitably spaced therefrom, by the end bars Ilia and [617, which are formed with bearings for the trunnions of the roller. The guide frame or rod is thus pivoted on the ends of the roller, which is thus free to freely turn within the guide frame.

The guide frame is provided with an offset or handle I I, which is located near the winding spool, thus providing a long track for the cable clutch l8, which is adapted to slide on the cross rod. This cable clutch is formed, as shown, from sheet metal, shaped to provide a U-shaped jaw lBa and a releasing tongue 18b, which is inserted in the opening I of the jaw I8a, as shown in Fig. 4, and spaced apart from the jaw l8a so that by pressing the tongue or jaw l8b toward the jaw [8a the eye Hid maybe opened. This eye is de signed to have a clutching fit with the cross rod I60, so that when there is no hand pressure upon the two jaws they will clutch the cross rod 160.

A small flexible cable or string I9 is connected at l9a to the jaw l8a, and connected at the other end to the winding spool l3. This cable works through an L-shaped tubular guide 20, which is fixed to the guide frame near the spool, so that one end of the guide 20 lies parallel to the cross bar I60, and the other end is supported in slightly spaced relation midway of the ends of the spool, so that the flexible cable or string will be fed close to the spool, and will be prevented from forming loops over the end of the spool, to interfere with winding and unwinding.

When the lower end of the shade is partly wound over the roller the cable or string l9 will be partly wound on the spool, and the position of the cable clutch will be toward the left end of the main guide frame or member. To raise the lower end of the shade the cable clutch is shifted manually to the right, by grasping the two jaws thereof and pushing the clutch when thus released. This will develop a pull upon the cable I9, thus turning the roller, through the action of the cable on the spool, and causing the roller to turn in a winding direction, thereby rolling up the shade.

The cable or string I9 is wound on the spool in a direction the reverse of the direction of winding of the shade upon the roller. When it is desired to lower the shade the cable clutch is shifted to the left, thus releasing the pull or resistance on the cable, and allowing the weight of the roller to produce a turning movement to unwind the shade and wind the cable, as it is pulled to the left.

The lower end of the shade may be adjusted independently of the adjustment of the upper end of the shade, and the lower roller may be brought into close relation with the upper spring roller. The lower roller is not equipped with any internal or other winding spring, as the winding action is produced entirely by the cable action against the spool, with the assistance of the weight of the lower roller when it is desired to unwind the shade.

It will be seen, therefore, that I have produced a rollable window shade which may be easily adjusted at both ends, to control the amount of window shading desired, and to affect at the same time the degree of ventilation, at either or both ends of the shade and window.

I claim as new:

1. A shade device including a spring shade roller, 3, flexible shade, flexible connections between the shade and the roller, and a roller on which the lower end of the shade may be wound, one end of said latter roller having a winding spool attached thereto; a flexible cable attached to the spool and adapted to be wound thereby, a guide frame pivoted at its ends to said latter roller, and a member connected to the cable and slidable on the guide frame to produce a rotary motion of the spool and roller.

2. A shade device including a spring shade roller, a flexible shade, a connection between the shade and spring roller, and a roller on which the lower end of the shade may be wound; a winding spool on said latter roller, a U-shaped guide frame having bearings on which the latter roller may turn, a tubular L-shaped cable guide on said frame with one end located between the ends of the spool, and a spring closed clutch slidable on the guide frame and having a flexible cable connected thereto, said cable being attached to the spool and winding thereon in a direction reverse to that of the winding of the shade on the second roller and slidable through the tubular cable guide.

3. A shade device including a spring rotated roller; a flexible shade adapted to be wound on the roller, flexible straps connecting the upper end of the shade to the roller to permit ventilation between the roller and shade; a second roller on the lower end of the shade having a spool on one end thereof, a guide extending across the shade and providing bearings for the ends of the second roller; a flexible member wound on said spool and a member sliding on said guide and' connected to said flexible member whereby, the roller may be rotated by sliding said member on said guide.

4. The combination with a flexible shade of a roller connected to the lower end thereof and adapted to wind the shade thereon, said roller having a spool on one end thereof which rotates with said roller, a member having end bearings on which the roller turns, and a cord wound on the spool in reverse direction to the winding of the shade on the roller and having a member connected thereto which is frictionally adjustable on the first named member.

5. The combination with a flexible windable shade, of means for supporting the upper end of the shade so that the shade depends therefrom, a roller on which the lower end of the shade is wound, a frame extending across the roller and providing end bearings on which the roller may turn, a friction clutch slidable on the frame, a spool on one end of the roller, a flexible cord connected with the friction clutch at one end and wound on the spool in reverse direction to the winding of the shade. upon the roller, whereby the weight of the roller will be balanced by the friction of the clutch, and the roller may be turned in either direction by shifting the clutch on the frame.

MAX F. EHLERS. 

